Guiding Light: Can You Really Control The Mind?

Nothing in the world can bother you as much as your own mind. It seems that others are the cause of your botheration, but in fact, it is just your own mind. Realizing this is wisdom.

The mind is influenced by five things: food, time, company, wisdom and place.

Food has a direct impact on the mind. If you eat at the wrong time, if your food is not digested properly, or if it is not wholesome, it affects the way you feel and think. Time also has an influence. The movement of the planets and stars has an impact on our system, and at different times the mind can experience different moods. 

Then comes the company that you keep. If you are in the company of people who are negative, your mind will get impacted negatively. But if you spend time in good company, your mind will be uplifted. Place also has an impact on your mind.

When the mind is under a cloud of negativity, three things can help: wisdom, dispassion and meditation.

Wisdom is recognising that everything in this world is temporary. Ask yourself: What are you holding on to? What is it that you are so worried about losing? Nothing is going to remain with you forever. When you recognise this truth, the hankering stops. That is dispassion. With wisdom, you know that negativity may touch you, but it does not stay with you for very long.

Meditation brings the mind back to its natural state of calmness. This is why going into periods of silence again and again, several times a year, the mind cools down, you experience a sense of pleasantness, and the whole system gets an opportunity to recuperate.

Chanting and singing also have a stabilising effect on the mind. Research shows positive effects of chanting on the brain, including changes associated with grey matter. When you chant something like Om Namah Shivaya, the mind becomes more centred and the system is infused with energy.

The mind cannot directly be controlled. The more you try to control the mind, the more it seems to run in the opposite direction. But there is a secret to managing this monkey mind. A controlled breath leads to a more settled mind. This is why practices such as Sudarshan Kriya are so powerful. Regular practice flushes out accumulated anger, anxiety and worries, leaving the mind completely relaxed and energised.

Published on: Monday, August 10, 2026, 07:00 AM IST